New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-06-26

The committee Of tho Provisional Government In their
report on nag ani seal for adoption. confessed they
were not much attached 10 the old nag ana declared
Il would be inappropriate 20 retain the Nag OF the GOV
eminent from which We have withdrawn" The design
recommended by the committee and adopted BY the Pro-
yisonal Government WAS known as the Stars and
Bars" Tho union blue I'm the corner hal circle OF
seven white stars to represent the seven original scce
ing states The Of the nag showed three bars rcd
white and blue In 1862 tho Confederate Government
s one evidence OF absolute severance from the United
States decided on n new Aag. This was the Southern
Cross finally adopted by the Confederate Congress In
s63 and favored by General Beaurcgard II first
however General Joseph T. Johnston's battle Nag he
having selected the blue spanged saer upon rel hrh
"a his battle ensign IL did not please The Richmond
Examiner, in which 1t was described ms a red heh
besrad1cd 9th longlegged white cross. Probably
the confusion Of the Rebel and Union coors at the first
battle OF Manassas led TO giving up the Stars and
Bars by the former.
On looking over the flags In the War Building find
most OF the Confederate ag OF the Southern Cross de-
vcc-rel field and blue having thirteen stars NOW
and then but eleven stars. eight One has
fifteen stars printed catalogue Of these flags when
they we're on exhibition in the Ordnance Museum gives
the number placed there Mt 80 The history Of $40 in
this catalogue is bnei AMI ends the list No. 30
Rebel battle ag brought from Richmond by Master Tad
Lincoln" President Lincolns youngest son was lad
OF twelve years when lie went with hs father on the
memorable visit City Point where General Grant had
his hcld1uarters
The Ordnance Museum remains In Winder's Building
VIII the flags be returned there, AMI paced where the
public may them again am told that some time
ago Secretary OF War then General Beknap wished
have the Confederate flags sent 10 West Point and put
in the museum there Strong objection made on the
ground that this would tend to keep alive unpleasant
feelings between the cadets from the two sections, in
cxuliation on the one side and regret the other
Adutant General Townsend cOntendcd that the proper
place for the flags here in the War Department
Building. To return them 10 the South would, he de-
cared when that suggestion up. he direct
recognition Of the rights OF the rebeous organization
While the President is catching IL all sides for
ordering back the flags. in official circles
talking the Presidents wife and her visit TO her
former friends and schoolmates With very few eXcep
many pleasant things said In approval OF Mrs
Clcvcand desire TO mold to her school friendships
and her evident enjoyment among everyday folk IL Is
taken proof positive that her years reign In the
White House has not turned her head. The few dis
scnters the other hand elevate their eyebrows over
of the extremely plain people, You know whose
hospitality Mrs Cleveland has accepted In Oswego. The
siicklers for social position above plain people make
very little heaiway they are in small minority
One woman the other day disposed OF the question so
vigorously that society circles telling how Mrs. A
| claimed: Plain people indeed! All respectable and
refined people plain people It's only the vulgarly
rich who fine people Mrs. Cleveland Is an at
tractive woman. But she plain young woman be-
fore she married. In the Of respectabity,
finenent and modest circumstances And now that she
Is the Presidents wife. would you have her snob II
society have snobs, let them be among the fine
people" The silence following Mrs As speech could
have been broken by the dropping of pin.
The Presidents wife has been almost wholly associ
ated with what may be termed middeagcd society. She
is young woman but has had no young people about
her except au occasional visitor from her schoolday
circle The restraint and fornaty OF the White House
makes the position OF its mistress not altogether
natural one, for older women. Those who know
the Presidents wife we'll declare she is very natural
woman and that while youth and lnexperence may tend
TO make her little careless forgetful OF small things,
she will never by any influence become spoiled and
artificial.
| Many OF the men who have been appointed to high
offices since 1884 green and Inexperienced others
had only small acquaintance with public men; hence
have arisen many complaints of official "haughtiness"
Secretary Fairohd of the most approachable Of
officials but when he to Washington he knew the
faces of comparatively few leading public even In
his own party. outside the State OF NewIork. And so,
one day after Mr. Faircbid was installed In office,